You know, just when we thought we were seeing
the light at the end of the covid tunnel,
another virus has popped up and it's giving many people
that same eerie feeling. They just had two years
ago at the start of the pandemic. So here's
what you need to know about. Monkey pox.
A monkey pox outbreak is spreading across the globe,
cases have already been confirmed in the U. K
. Spain, Portugal Canada and now the U.
S. So what exactly is monkeypox? How did
it get here and how worried should we be?
Monkeypox is similar to but milder than smallpox symptoms include
fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion. But
unlike smallpox, the disease and largest lymph nodes,
the most notable symptom is the pox, or painful
fluid filled blisters on the face, hands and feet
Cases generally lasts 2-4 weeks. The fatality rate is
between three and 6%, according to the World Health
Organization. The disease spreads by contact with an animal
or a human or materials contaminated with the virus.
Now, while this is scary, it's important to
remember this isn't the first time that we've seen monkey
pox. In 2003, there was an outbreak in
the Midwest. The first outbreak outside of Africa.
In that case it was linked to contact with infected
Pet Prairie dogs Leading to more than 70 cases of
monkeypox. There are currently over 100 confirmed cases outside
of the continent of Africa. Health officials are contact
tracing and hopes of limiting the spread. The World
Health Organization says much of the spread is happening through
sexual contact. However, there is already a monkey
pox vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control is currently
working to release it from the national stockpile for those
at high risk of the disease.